When we hear about the talking birds, the first name that comes to our mind is the parrot, as we are aware that he can talk and mimic humans. But, on the other hand, many of us wonder whether the crows can speak similarly to humans or not. In this article, let us have a look at whether the crows can talk or can be taught to speak or not.
Crows can be taught to speak, especially in captivity. The cognitive skills of crows are so good that they can say a word which you had said in front of them. But, they are not as accurate in pronouncing the words as the parrots. Crows can ask you for a specific food, count their food, and reply to your greetings.
How do the crows talk?
Crows can mimic the words or sounds like humans with the help of their syrinx. They can remember a few words they have heard and try to recall them in the same way.
They can mimic the words with the help of below:
- Syrinx: It is a unique vocal organ, also known as the voice box, that helps the crows to talk. They don’t make use of their tongue to mimic the sounds. Also, they don’t understand much and therefore just mimic the sounds without understanding anything.
- Intelligence: Crows are very intelligent and have a great memory as compared to other birds. They have small head and brain similar to the other birds, but their cognitive skills surpass all. They also have the ability to recognize various tools and patterns.
- Brain: A crow’s brain has 1.5 billion neurons which act as an information messenger. In his brain, song nuclei are formed with the help of clusters of neurons. That’s why crow can mimic the sounds and words and even formulate full sentences.
How to teach the crow to speak?
Teaching the crow to talk can be easier if you raise it in your house from its birth or childhood. You can also train the crow to talk if it visits your balcony or garden every day. However, be aware that raising them as a pet might not be a good idea. Here are a few tips that can help the crow to talk.
Start with short and simple words.
Teaching simple and small words like Hi, Hello, Bye, Good morning or Good night, etc., can be good words to start with. These words can be used in the daily conversation with the crows, and this will help him mimic your words after listening to them frequently. With time, the crow can also learn different words you speak in front of him.
Try to talk with enthusiasm.
Whenever you talk with the crow, be enthusiastic as the crow can pick the excitement vibes and learn the words quickly. The more enthusiastic you are when talking with the crow, the more interest the crow will show to learn the new words.
Give the crow rewards.
Give him rewards like a biscuit or other food item whenever the crow mimics any word correctly. This will encourage the crow to learn more words and mimic them quickly. You can also praise the crow if he tries very hard to mimic any word.
Train a crow when he is young
If possible, then you should always train a crow from a young age. Because studies have shown that teaching the younger crows requires less effort, and they can mimic the words quickly.
Build trust
Before teaching the crow to talk or mimic the words, you should build a bond with him. Spend some time with him and let him trust you first, as this will make it easy for him to learn or talk with you.
How much does the crow understand?
Crows can say a few simple words after they hear you saying it. They pick up the words and repeat them until they find them familiar. But the crows don’t understand whatever they are saying. Although they can mimic the words similar to the parrot with syrinx’s help, a vocal organ in birds known as the voice box.
Why haven’t we seen a talking crow?
Unlike parrots, we can’t see a talking crow because we don’t keep crows as our pets. Crows are often seen in open environments like the forest and garden and therefore interact less with humans. This may sometimes make training difficult as they aren’t much familiar with the human language or words.
But in captivity, crows can be seen repeating words, and they do it very well, like the parrot. Crows can even learn or mimic new words if they get a chance to interact with the humans visiting the zoo or in the garden.
Do crows talk to humans?
Crows can talk, but they can’t speak fluently with humans. They can only mimic the sounds and words they hear. Even the captive crows who are taught to speak cannot have a regular conversation with the human. Also, crows are restricted to learning words as they will pick a few words that are said in front of them and leave the others, unlike the parrots who can even learn words from the TV shows.
Can all crows talk and mimic?
All crows cannot talk and mimic like the parrots even if they are taught to speak. They cannot talk because they may be shy or have stayed far away from the city and haven’t heard humans talking. Also, even if the same training is given to 2 or more crows, they all cannot mimic the words with the same fluency. Their vocal sounds and pronunciation may differ.
Conclusion
In a nutshell, the answer to the question ‘Can a crow be taught to speak’ is YES. But, teaching them a few simple words when they are young is easier as they can grasp them easily as compared to their adults. One thing to note is that training a crow is a bit time-consuming compared to training a parrot.
If you found this article helpful, share it with the other readers. And if you know any other way to teach the crow to speak, then do share your thoughts in the comment section below.
